Well. Would you really feel safe aboard the plane he's on? Since flights can get diverted that he is suspecting of getting on, it will be
interesting how he gets there. Because it now seems he is the enemy #1.

Originally posted by cenpuppie
Well. Would you really feel safe aboard the plane he's on? Since flights can get diverted that he is suspecting of getting on, it will be
interesting how he gets there. Because it now seems he is the enemy #1.

If it is Venezuela it could get interesting. Looks like they are rather important to us, and we to them.

From Wikipedia Venezuela article The United States is Venezuela's most important trading partner. U.S. exports to Venezuela include machinery,
agricultural products, medical instruments, and autos. Venezuela is one of the top four suppliers of foreign oil to the United States. About 500 U.S.
companies are represented in Venezuela. According to Central Bank of Venezuela, the government received from 1998 to 2008 around 325 billion USD
through oil production and export in general,[ and according to the International Energy Agency, to June 2010 has production of 2.2 million barrels
per day, 800,000 of which go to the United States of America. Venezuela has one of the highest inflation rates in the world averaging 29.1% in 2010,
according to the CIA world fact book.Since Hugo Chavez imposed stringent currency controls in 2003 in an attempt to prevent capital flight,there have
been a series of currency devaluations, disrupting the economy. The government has intervened in agriculture and nationalised parts of the food
industry;[neutrality is disputed] there are currently widespread shortages of some staple food items such as flour, oil, coffee, and sugar. The
government blames shortages on "hoarders" and "speculators". In 2012, total food consumption was over 26 million metric tonnes, a 94.8% increase
from 2003.

Originally posted by Moshpet
Snowden deserves the same treatment as Benedict Arnold.
You don't have to like my opinion.

But when he fled the state he started leaking from, he committed a secondary felony.
When he fled the country, and gave out information to Foreign Nationals, he committed treason.

Yes I know a lot of you think his revelations might be worthy of clemency.
Yet! One good deed, of dubious intent, does not erase his crimes.
Nor should it mitigate his punishment.

The same goes for Manning.

M.

No...you're right, nobody cares what you have to say. That is the type of credibility people tend to pick up if you regurgitate complete crap. You
don't even know it but you are a mouthpiece of the establishment. Look up every establishment politician that has been in office for way too long and
you will find that they are all saying the exact same things you are. It is no coincidence, because you are getting information from the same
sources. You are not thinking for yourself.

My understanding is that espionage means giving secret or classified information to the enemy. Since Snowden shared information with the American
people, his indictment for espionage could reveal (or confirm) that the US Government views you and me as the enemy.
-Ron Paul

If he's a traitor so then were the Son's of Liberty and all of our Forefathers including that traitor George Washington leading insurgents against
the Government and Ben Franklin talking to our enemies the French and even going to their country to talk to them! Good Lord! The list goes on and
on...

I don't like Venezuela's government or politics but...this is good news.

What information did he give out? People keep repeating this, however there is no there, there. It's just a deflection away from the importance of
what he has revealed.

Classic tactic to focus on the source instead of the information.

That information is above my paygrade, and likely above the 99.9% of those who visit ATS.

But it's pretty damned obvious, when people high up in other nations after 'visiting' with Snowden; start screaming at the USA about spying on
them, that something was given to them. (Canada, China and the G-8 summits and other bits.)

So, while I don't know what was definitively leaked, I can clearly see the results of what he did leak. And those results are pretty damning. Which
means Snowden, gave them information that was classified, and in doing so committed a grave, treasonous act.

Could all those nations be making it up, maybe, but given how diplomacy normally works; if they had kept the information quiet and used it as leverage
in a trade agreement or something, it would have been more effective.

What is evident, was that information was released and it was 'blatantly shocking'; to the point those governments could not remain silent. (And
thus bargain with that information.)

1- Snowden gives information of the USA spying on the G8 and on other countries, to foreign nationals.
2- The foreign nationals cry foul, loudly, in a public forum; but _not_ about the USA's "Domestic Spying".
2A- They clearly complained about Spying outside of the USA, not about what happened in the USA.
3- So that clearly shows that Snowden gave them information that they 'should not have access to'.
4- QED Snowden committed espionage and likely treason, at the same time.

The simplest answer is, "Snowden = spy = traitor."

Look, I understand people want to see just the 'good' Snowden committed.

But the facts are clear that he broke the law, and in a greater way than just 'leaking about the NSA's domestic spying.'
He leaked secret information and sensitive information, while in the USA. (A crime.)
He fled the state the leak was committed in. (Another crime, or compounding his crime.)
He then fled the country. (A greater crime.)
Then he shared information about the NSA's domestic spying, to foreign nationals. (Willing espionage aka a crime.)
Then he gave information to foreign nationals about the USA spying on them. (Willing espionage and treason, aka more crimes.)

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